Wiring a Disconnect

[Holt]

Ok so I got all my main feed ran. My inspector said I have to have a disconnect either outside or immediately inside after line enters garage. My queston is how to wire the grounds on this. Its a 60 amp fusible. For wiring it has a spot for the red,white and neutrals. On the neutral bar there is a box grounding screw. So when I wire this up what do I do with the green grounds. do I just tie them together with a wire nut and let them pass through the disconnect. Or do I wire nut them together and put a pig tale to the grounding screw. If I do that then the ground and neutrals are bonded together and i thought in the panel the neutral bare cant touch the panel. Sorry I'm just a little confused. Also I'm using 6 awg wire. Is there a wire nut even big enough for 6 awg. Thanks in advance

 

[hillbilly1]

It will all depend on whether this is the service disconnect, or a disconnect for a sub panel. In other words, is the disconnect fed directly from the power company meter? Or is it fed from another panel located elsewhere?

 

[Holt]

It will all depend on whether this is the service disconnect, or a disconnect for a sub panel. In other words, is the disconnect fed directly from the power company meter? Or is it fed from another panel located elsewhere?

Sorry I really should have specified that. This is a disconnect for a sub panel. Line is running from a 60 amp breaker in my house... underground... disconnect....sub panel.

 

[klhitman]

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-NEW-BURNDY-INSULATED-MECHANICAL-LUGS-BISR-250-/230544488754 we use stuff like this for anything bigger that 8g works great. but in theory the ground and neutrals are all the same and if you take a meter and ohm you neutral bar to a ground it will ohm out. sounds kinda screwed up but i just change a 200 amp panel for my boss and they run ground wires to the neutral bar all the time.

 

[Holt]

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-NEW-BURNDY-INSULATED-MECHANICAL-LUGS-BISR-250-/230544488754 we use stuff like this for anything bigger that 8g works great. but in theory the ground and neutrals are all the same and if you take a meter and ohm you neutral bar to a ground it will ohm out. sounds kinda screwed up but i just change a 200 amp panel for my boss and they run ground wires to the neutral bar all the time.

See to me thats the weird thing. I know the grounds and neutrals are the same i just dont get why I would have the grounds and neutrals on the same bar then 2 ft later they have to be separated. Either way. Do I wing nut the grounds and have a pig tale go to ground screw. Is this the proper way?

 

[klhitman]

See to me thats the weird thing. I know the grounds and neutrals are the same i just dont get why I would have the grounds and neutrals on the same bar then 2 ft later they have to be separated. Either way. Do I wing nut the grounds and have a pig tale go to ground screw. Is this the proper way?

i have seen it done that way and in my opinion it all depends on the inspector and the local codes. are you using EMT? if so get the ground camp lock rings. they help out a little. with PVC you have to run the grounds. with EMT you can ground it through the EMT.and i would put a pig tail in the disconnect box, and run the neutral through the box. make the inspector happy!!!!

 

[mrb]

your neutral and ground have to be kept seperate beyond the main bonding jumper at your service. first, i would have just installed a main breaker in the panel instead of a seperate disco. Inside your switch, you need to remove the bonding screw and install a ground lug. You must not connect the white and green together.

 

[klhitman]

your neutral and ground have to be kept seperate beyond the main bonding jumper at your service. first, i would have just installed a main breaker in the panel instead of a seperate disco. Inside your switch, you need to remove the bonding screw and install a ground lug. You must not connect the white and green together.

i do agree with main breaker alot better

 

[mrb]

but in theory the ground and neutrals are all the same and if you take a meter and ohm you neutral bar to a ground it will ohm out. sounds kinda screwed up but i just change a 200 amp panel for my boss and they run ground wires to the neutral bar all the time.

ground and neutral are NOT the same, each serves a distinct purpose.

ground wires would only be run to the neutral bar in a combo meter main, where the neutral bar is where the main bonding jumper is.

 

[Holt]

your neutral and ground have to be kept seperate beyond the main bonding jumper at your service. first, i would have just installed a main breaker in the panel instead of a seperate disco. Inside your switch, you need to remove the bonding screw and install a ground lug. You must not connect the white and green together.

My inspector says I have to have a separate disconnect before the subpanel. Either outside or as soon as it enters the detach building. Must be a local code. So my best option would be to go buy a ground lug that keeps the grounds from touching the case. I'm using pvc for the whole run and pvc for the jumper from the disconnect to the sub panel.

 

[Joe92GT]

My inspector says I have to have a separate disconnect before the subpanel. Either outside or as soon as it enters the detach building. Must be a local code. So my best option would be to go buy a ground lug that keeps the grounds from touching the case. I'm using pvc for the whole run and pvc for the jumper from the disconnect to the sub panel.

The neutral bar in your box should be isolated from the panel, with the exception of the green ground screw. Pull that screw out, and now the neutral will be isolated. If you look closely at the neutral bus you should see it mounted on plastic, not metal.

Once the ground screw is out, you can add a ground bar to the panel, and that can/must tie directly to the metal.

 

[mrb]

My inspector says I have to have a separate disconnect before the subpanel. Either outside or as soon as it enters the detach building. Must be a local code. So my best option would be to go buy a ground lug that keeps the grounds from touching the case. I'm using pvc for the whole run and pvc for the jumper from the disconnect to the sub panel.

the ground lug must be bonded to the housing of the switch. the neutral must be kept seperate

 

[sberry]

Evidently the sub is not located just inside the building where it enters but somewhere else in the building?